Eriksson leads the acclaim for reformed monster Dunne

When Richard Dunne left Everton for Manchester City it is probably fair to say there were people at Goodison Park who were glad to see him go. At the time he went by the unfortunate nickname of the Honey Monster because of his lumbering style, and to his team-mates he was known more as a beer monster, with an apparent fondness of Guinness and the kind of "refuelling" for which Paul Gascoigne was notorious.

The change in Dunne over the past few years has been so remarkable that, as he prepares to face his former club today, it can seem like a trick of the mind sometimes to remember that the Republic of Ireland international once had the reputation as one of the more wayward individuals in the game and was heavily implicated when Joe Royle was sacked as City manager in 2001 amid allegations of a fags-and-booze culture at the club.

The modern-day Dunne is, in many ways, the consummate professional - hard-working, dedicated and determined to make the most of his career - and even if Micah Richards gets most of the headlines the 28-year-old Dubliner has been, indisputably, the most important member of a City defence which, with the exception of a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea in October, has been the bedrock of Sven-Goran Eriksson's success so far this season.

"He is a real captain," Eriksson eulogised yesterday. "Going out today for training, the rain was blowing in horizontally, it was cold, and it's difficult to play football when there is no protection from the wind. But then you see Richard Dunne and he's out there saying, 'OK, come on boys, let's do it.' The weather was really horrible but it was a really good session. And that's thanks to everyone, but the captain more than anyone else because he gives it so much. He is such a fighter."

The transformation has been a long-drawn-out process and along the way there have been a few slip-ups, but Dunne's emergence as a centre-half of real class can be traced back to the middle stages of Kevin Keegan's tenure. He has now been City's player of the year for the past three seasons. "Ever since I've come to the club Richard has just been quality," said Richards. "I play with him week in, week out and I think he's one of the best defenders I've ever seen. I've played with John Terry and Rio Ferdinand in the England squad but Richard is right up there with them."

City are certainly entitled to feel that Dunne has proved to be a bargain, having been signed for £3m in 2000, although Eriksson remembers when that was not the case. "I saw him play against Arsenal [in April 2001] and City were four behind after 35 minutes," said the Swede, thinking back to his first months as England's head coach. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't impressed by him. But today it is like two different players. He is quick, fitter physically and stronger mentally. And I think he has improved technically as well."

Dunne yesterday suggested that City had as much chance as Liverpool of claiming a Champions League place this season, after the two sides drew 0-0 two weeks ago. "We came off the pitch and thought they weren't that much better than us," he said. "We all took some confidence from that. We are all in there and we have as much chance as them of getting into that fourth position."

City yesterday signed the Iraq midfielder Nashat Akram after a trial. "He reminds me a bit of Michael Johnson in that he can do a little bit of everything in both attack and defence," said Eriksson. "I think he's one for the future, but I've seen him train and he's good."